'Legendary' D-Day officer recalls attack

Last updated at 11:24 05 June 2004

The most senior surviving officer from D-Day today spoke of the horrific memories that have never left him.

As a statue was unveiled in his honour, Brigadier James Hill, now 93, told how a devastating bombing raid cut down all but him and one other colleague from their 18-strong party shortly after landing on the D-Day beaches.

But the Brigadier, who commanded 3 Parachute Brigade as it was dropped behind enemy lines, said that after patching up the wounded he decided to press on.

Of the 2,200 strong force he led only around 700 survived the offensive.

Emotional memories

Today, Brigadier Hill was in Le Mesnil to see the statue unveiled in a ceremony attended by the Army's most senior officer General Sir Mike Jackson and the Prince of Wales.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Brigadier Hill said: "I found that only two of us out of the 18 in our party could get to our feet so that was a bad moment.

"So what did the two of us do? Did we stay and look after the wounded or push on to what we had to do. Of course, being the Brigade Commander I had to push on.

"What we did was give all the wounded their morphia and patched up a little bit those who could and then we had to leave them.

"The thing that sticks in my heart and mind today just as clearly as it did in those days, was the fact that as we set off they all gave us a cheer.

"An hour or two later there was nobody left alive. They were dead, bar two wounded and missing. So that was a very bad start to one's day."

However, despite the huge losses the Brigade secured their objectives.

Gen Sir Mike said that attending the ceremony "will be one of the greatest honours of my life".

"James Hill has been one of my heroes from when I was a young officer in the Airborne Forces," he told Today. He is legendary."

Brig Hill said he was "astonished" by the honour.

"I never anticipated anything like this. I didn't particularly want it but it came.

"He is a great Parachute man to all of us oldies and he has done marvels for the Parachute Regiment as a fighting unit, which we were of course."